Post-Game Talk: Leafs lose. Thornton on the first PP unit. Weak. Nice work keefe. Do better.

[Bomber0104]

True.. We could have kept Kadri as our #2C and had the great Derek Ryan as our #3C, or re-sign Bozak.

I'm sure that would have been a better alternative.

Dream bigger than that.

 

[Stinger8]

I bet you thought this was really good, eh?

I did I was chuckling into my coffee cup

 

[Embryo]

Hey Rangers fan, watched Tavares grow up as a baby and become a great player here in NY on the Islanders, really felt sick to see him taken off on a stretcher. Glad he seems to be ok, based on the updates I've seen this morning. NY hockey fans will always love and respect Tavares and we send our thoughts and prayers to him and his family. He made the Rangers-Islanders rivalry relevent again and gave us the first great Islanders player to boo since Denis Potvin haha. Glad he's ok, hope he is back on the ice soon. AND GO BEAT THE HABS!!! GO LEAFS!!

 

[genk]

Decent game by the Leafs, bad outcome. They hit at least two posts that were basically 50/50s and had more quality scoring opportunities. It is concerning to me though since this is the exact same thing that happened in the Columbus series.

 

[ToneDog]

Leafs could’ve had Hall if they wanted this TDL, they chose Foligno. Jury is still out on if that was the right call.

Hall wanted Boston but with cap space why not both? Problem is our foot soldiers do not provide much and it is magnified when 34 does not score. Take away 91 and it is worse. This is round 1 vs the worst playoff team. Imagine going against a final 4 team. I do not see it going well. Hope I am wrong.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Dream bigger than that.

Paul Statsny?

What other UFA options were there for a centre?

 

[AndyWozniewski]

Leafs could’ve had Hall if they wanted this TDL, they chose Foligno. Jury is still out on if that was the right call.

Hall only wanted to go to Boston. He handcuffed Buffalo with his NTC which is why the return was so low. Leafs had no chance of getting him.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Hall wanted Boston but with cap space why not both? Problem is our foot soldiers do not provide much and it is magnified when 34 does not score. Take away 91 and it is worse. This is round 1 vs the worst playoff team. Imagine going against a final 4 team. I do not see it going well. Hope I am wrong.

I can't imagine the narrative here if the Leafs picked up Hall instead and lost this game it would be so much worse.

 

[CanadasTeam]

The Foligno fight was pretty bizarre, Perry is a tough guy but he didn't seem to want to fight back and just took it. Very strange overall.

I had no issue with the Foligno fight (honestly would've much preferred a Simmonds-Chiarot tilt instead). If he hadn't many would be complaining Leafs are soft and don't stand up for their captain.

Also what boggles my mind is how Anderson is free to roam the ice the way he does, hitting everything in his path and can drive the net whenever he pleases... seems Keefe have no answer to their "power horse"?

 

[Bomber0104]

Paul Statsny?

What other UFA options were there for a centre?

So from 2018 onward, you can only think of two centres the Leafs could have acquired - that being Stastny and Derek Ryan?

Honestly, I think you're being deliberately close-minded to the idea that there are many other ways to spend $11 million in capspace in the NHL.

This all goes back to my initial post about diversifying risk.

 

[fahad203]

-We faced outstanding goaltending
-lost 1 of those "highly paid forwards" who lacks scoring touch 10 mins into the game with a horrific injury that clearly shook the team (that highly paid forward also happens to be our captain)
-we hit 2 posts that I can remember
-spent 10 minutes of the game dumb fluky penalties
-gave up 2-4 really dangerous looks
-played with 11 forwards, and the position we lost was 2L center. Not exactly easy to manage for 50 minutes

Tell me how much life you'd have if you saw one of your coworkers drop down at work and get carried away in a stretcher? think you'd be as productive the rest of the day?

No doubt. I was totally shaken by seeing John T in that spot. I was telling my gf, that man single handily won us the gold back 2008. That I looked up and hated Islanders for able to pick him up. It was absolutely disgusting to see him on that spot

Especially the look on Matthews face, I don't think he has ever seen anything like this

 

[Gallagbi]

I can't imagine the narrative here if the Leafs picked up Hall instead and lost this game it would be so much worse.

It would just be the opposite. Too much skill, not enough grinders and those are the guys who score in playoffs.

Truth is we didn't get much outside our top 2-3 offensive guys last night. We need our bottom 6 to at least generate and sustain some pressure, but dump and chase hockey isn't going to get that done for us

 

[fahad203]

I had no issue with the Foligno fight (honestly would've much preferred a Simmonds-Chiarot tilt instead). If he hadn't many would be complaining Leafs are soft and don't stand up for their captain.

Also it boggles my mind how Anderson is free to roam the ice the way he does, hitting everything in his path and can drive the net whenever he pleases... seems Keefe have no answer to their "power horse"?

That's how he plays. What are you going to do? who's our answer to a 6'3 forward that plays 25 minutes?

I mean you think he's going to fight SImmonds in a playoff game who plays 8 mins a non factor game?

The key is us to start hitting. Hit Petry, he plays a lot. Hit him hard. We have speed

But then I forget, this team has Kerfoot and Mikaheyev in the line up. Soft as buttercup

 

[Gallagbi]

-We faced outstanding goaltending
-lost 1 of those "highly paid forwards" who lacks scoring touch 10 mins into the game with a horrific injury that clearly shook the team (that highly paid forward also happens to be our captain)
-we hit 2 posts that I can remember
-spent 10 minutes of the game dumb fluky penalties
-gave up 2-4 really dangerous looks
-played with 11 forwards, and the position we lost was 2L center. Not exactly easy to manage for 50 minutes

Tell me how much life you'd have if you saw one of your coworkers drop down at work and get carried away in a stretcher? think you'd be as productive the rest of the day?

So you're saying they crumbled under adversity? Isn't that the knock on them in general?

 

[Gallagbi]

No doubt. I was totally shaken by seeing John T in that spot. I was telling my gf, that man single handily won us the gold back 2008. That I looked up and hated Islanders for able to pick him up. It was absolutely disgusting to see him on that spot

Especially the look on Matthews face, I don't think he has ever seen anything like this

The symbolism isn't great, reminded me a bit of Gilmour coming back and all the excitement only to blow out his knee 5 minutes into the game

 

[Notsince67]

Simmonds and Thornton were both pretty bad.... I’d like to see younger faster legs in game 2

They should probably bring back Galchenyuk. Not great defensively but can add some offense.

 

[napoleon in rags]

Yeah, a few of us pointed that out.

I hope Keefe has the balls to sit some of these old vets and not worry about hurting their feelings.

I'm sick of the old vets. Thornton and Simmonds especially.

 

[Bluelines]

Nash is not out of place at all at 3C. I know we all need to scapegoat the hell outta the game but this whole 'If only we had played Pierre Engvall/ Alex Galchenyuk instead of Riley Nash' stuff is cringe. It was never gonna happen and I would stake my home on the fact that it won't happen tomorrow either.

I'm not of that mindset. Nash is an elite forward defender. I have no issues with him starting over Engvall.

 

[fahad203]

The symbolism isn't great, reminded me a bit of Gilmour coming back and all the excitement only to blow out his knee 5 minutes into the game

Dont' even get me started with that. I stayed up watching that game to see Dougie play again. I believe we were playing Calgary that night and minute into his comeback, blows out his knee

I wanted to see him play at ACC from the fans......I wanted to see the fans reaction..... Never happened

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

They should probably bring back Galchenyuk. Not great defensively but can add some offense.

Agreed, the defense was fine for the most part. Offense needs to generate more chances, I thought price was solid but I didn’t feel the leafs tested him enough.

byron goal was kinda just incredible goal by him, bad play by Sandin and Thornton.

first goal I’d even call a bit fluke, as Campbell came out of net to clear a stick and didn’t seem to get set up correctly.

def would take Sandin out for dermott or hutton

 

[Stinger8]

They out-chanced and outplayed Montreal last night, hit 3 posts I believe, this could have been a very different game.

One team's game plan is built on holding onto the puck and generating quality scoring chances.
The other's is to get the puck, put it into empty space, and try to win it back by hitting and hoping there is a breakdown for a scoring chance.

Here is another game with lopsided hitting last night
Pit - 29 | NYI - 46

It is almost like less skilled teams need to muck it up to try to make it a game.

Also would not surprise me if half the "hits" from last night were just Montreal laying cross-checks in front of the net.

The Habs did the same thing in the regular season, hurt Mathews with a cross check and was the reason Simmons gave Chiarot (I think) a beating. Guess what after Simmons did his thing the cross checks dissipated. Last night someone blows Hyman up with a devastating cross check, no penalty call and no Leaf reaction. Guess what is going to happen Saturday night, same shyte.

Montreal was significantly more physical and they won.

 

[Twine Tickler]

Sandin has to pivot there and change momentum while already gassed and while Byron is already skating straight down. It's not his fault. It's Thornton's. He gave the puck away and put Sandin in that position. Sandin played it fine given the situation, he tripped him up and players don't normally score while on their knees but as we saw, Byron scored a great goal.

yup I agree. It not only is a very routine play at the line, but if you watch any of the leaf games this year that is the exact designed entry that they do 50% of the time. Joe being the wall guy on the blue line is either going to receive the pass from Matthews prior to entry and then shove it down the wall in a give and go type entry, or Matthews will gain the zone as he did yesterday, draw the PK'er with him and then feed it back up to the wall guy (Thornton). This is extremely routine, and simple. Joe is 100% to blame on this. As well as the 1st goal. I love Joe, and see value of him being on the bench, but that was a terrible night for him. Those 2 turnovers directly lead to goals against, and they are both massively avoidable. I think we have to give jumbo the benefit of the doubt here. He knows he is the reason we lost the game. I am expecting him to rebound in game 2. But anyone blaming Sandin on that should give their head a shake. He was in the exact position he needed to be and was beat on the play by one of the faster straight away players in the league. He probably shouldn't have dove at the puck, but it was kind of a desperation play that just didn't work in our favor this time around. The goals start and end with Jumbo. Those mistakes are what cost us the game. realistically the only 2 real good chances that they got outside of their PP

 

[fahad203]

I'm not of that mindset. Nash is an elite forward defender. I have no issues with him starting over Engvall.

What is so elite against Habs? I mean they don't even have a top high end finisher. Who is he going to shutdown? How many defensive forward do we need?

Mikhaeyev, apparently a great pk. Can't finish
Foligno, apparently great at pk. Not much offensive threat
Kerfet = see above
Hyman = great at both ends

Add 2 other players who can't score in Simmonds and Joe

You want to add more defensive player who hasn't played in months with a knee injury against a fast team?

 

[Notsince67]

Agreed, the defense was fine for the most part. Offense needs to generate more chances, I thought price was solid but I didn’t feel the leafs tested him enough.

byron goal was kinda just incredible goal by him, bad play by Sandin and Thornton.

first goal I’d even call a bit fluke, as Campbell came out of net to clear a stick and didn’t seem to get set up correctly.

def would take Sandin out for dermott or hutton

The defense had the forwards playing a bit tentative when Sandin was on the ice. Swapping in a speedier Dermott will fix that and also improve the defensive zone denial.

 

[93WrapAround]

Sandin has to pivot there and change momentum while already gassed and while Byron is already skating straight down. It's not his fault. It's Thornton's. He gave the puck away and put Sandin in that position. Sandin played it fine given the situation, he tripped him up and players don't normally score while on their knees but as we saw, Byron scored a great goal.

Cannot agree with this take at all. Again I reiterate, it's not all Sandin's fault, but to say he played it fine or excuse him because he had to pivot? If you pause the replay where he's already pivoted and square to his own end, he still has a massive lead. They both started from stand still. Sure, it's not his fault he's that slow, but it was definitely still quite disappointing to me how badly he was burned given that head-start and short distanced race. I don't know to what extent it was him being gassed, but it's a noteworthy concern to me going forward.